Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson | |
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Born | Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S. | September 14, 1867
Died | December 23, 1944 New York City, New York, U.S. | (aged 77)
Nationality | American |
Education | Art Students League of New York |
Known for | Illustration |
Notable work | Gibson Girl series |
Charles Dana Gibson (September 14, 1867 – December 23, 1944) was an American graphic artist. He was best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century.
His wife, Irene Langhorne, and her four beautiful sisters inspired his images. He published his illustrations in Life magazine and other major national publications for more than 30 years, becoming editor in 1918 and later owner of the general interest magazine.
Early life
Gibson was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, the son of Josephine Elizabeth (née Lovett) and Charles DeWolf Gibson.[1] He had a sister Josephine Gibson. One of their great-grandfathers was U.S. Senator James DeWolf, and a great-great-grandfather was U.S. Senator William Bradford. His sister Josephine inherited Longfield (Bristol, Rhode Island) from their paternal grandmother, Abby DeWolf Gibson.[2]
A talented youth with an early interest in art, Gibson was enrolled by his parents in New York City's Art Students League, where he studied for two years.
Magazine illustrator
Peddling his pen-and-ink sketches, Gibson sold his first work in 1886 to Life magazine, founded by John Ames Mitchell and Andrew Miller. It featured general interest articles, humor, illustrations, and cartoons. His works appeared weekly in the popular national magazine for more than 30 years. He quickly built a wider reputation, with his drawings being featured in all the major New York publications, including Harper's Weekly, Scribners and Collier's. His illustrated books include the 1898 editions of Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau. His development of the "Gibson Girl" from 1890 and her nationwide fame brought Gibson respect and wealth.[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Their_First_Quarrel%2C_Gibson.jpg/220px-Their_First_Quarrel%2C_Gibson.jpg)
In 1895, he married Irene Langhorne, born in Danville, Virginia. One of her four sisters was Nancy Astor (Lady Astor), the first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.[3] His wife and her elegant Langhorne sisters also inspired his famous Gibson Girls, who became iconic images in early 20th-century society. Their dynamic and resourceful father Chiswell Langhorne had his wealth severely reduced by the Civil War, but by the late 19th century, he had rebuilt his fortune on tobacco auctioneering and the railroad industry.[4][5]
After the death of John Ames Mitchell in 1918, Gibson became editor of Life and later took over as owner of the magazine. As the popularity of the Gibson Girl faded after World War I, Gibson took to working in oils for his own pleasure. In 1918, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member,[citation needed] and became a full Academician in 1932.[6]
Legacy
Almost unrestricted merchandising saw his distinctive sketches appear in many forms. The Gibson cocktail has been claimed to be named after him, as it is said he favored ordering gin martinis with a pickled onion garnish in place of the traditional olive or lemon zest.
For part of his career, Gibson lived in New Rochelle, New York, a popular art colony among actors, writers and artists of the period. The community was most well known for its unprecedented number of prominent American illustrators.[7]
Gibson owned an island off Islesboro, Maine which came to be known as 700 Acre Island; he and his wife spent an increasing amount of time here through the years.[8] He retired in 1936, the same year Scribner's published his biography, Portrait of an Era as Drawn by C.D. Gibson: A Biography by Fairfax Downey.
Death
Charles Dana Gibson died in 1944, aged 77, and was interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
Work
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Gibson Girl, created 1898
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Frontispiece to The Prisoner of Zenda, 1898
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Illustration from Rupert of Hentzau, 1898
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At the Beach, 1901
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Fancy Dress, 1901
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Love in a Garden, 1901
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The Crush, 1901
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Art Lesson, 1901
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Everything in the World that Money Can Buy, 1901
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Stepped On, 1901
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Fanned Out, 1914
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Studies in Expression: When Women Are Jurors, 1902
See also
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Rossiter Johnson, John Howard Brown (1904). The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans. The Biographical Society.
- ^ Laura Barbeau (December 1979). "LONGFIELD (Gibson House) HABS No.RI-129" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey. National Park Service. Retrieved 2010-06-29.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Langhorne House, 117 Broad Street, Danville, Va., virginia.org Archived 2008-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Charles Dana Gibson and his wife at their Islesboro, Maine, home", mainememory.net; accessed September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Mrs. Gibson, the original Gibson girl", Maine Memory Network; accessed September 2, 2017.
- ^ "National Academicians – Past Academicians Archived 2014-01-16 at the Wayback Machine". National Academy. nationalacademy.org; retrieved March 19, 2017.
- ^ Progressive Architecture – Volume 3, 1922, google.com; accessed September 2, 2017.
- ^ Charles Dana Gibson at his Islesboro home, vintagemaineimages.com Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Bulloch, J. M (1896). "Charles Dana Gibson". The Studio. VIII: 75–81. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
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(help) - Davis, Charles Belmont (January 1899). "Mr. Charles Dana Gibson and his Art". The Critic. XXXIV (859): 48–55. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
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(help) - Gelman, Woody (ed.) (1969). The Best of Charles Dana Gibson. New York: Bounty Books.
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has generic name (help) - Marden, Orison Swett (1905). Little Visits With Great Americans, Chapter XXXIII "Charles Dana Gibson, Originator of the "Gibson Girl". New York: The Success Company. pp. 342–352. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
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(help) - The Gibson Girl and Her America. The Best Drawings of Charles Dana Gibson selected by Edmund Vincent Gillon, Jr. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1969.*Gibson, Charles Dana (1905). Sketches in Egypt. New York: Doubleday & McClure Co. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
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External links
- Works by Charles Dana Gibson at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Charles Dana Gibson at the Internet Archive
- Charles Dana Gibson at Library of Congress, with 137 library catalog records
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.